


Ink

by ClockworkDinosaur



Series: Davekat Week 2016 [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Sburb Session, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Davekat Week 2016, First Meetings, Humanstuck, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-17 11:23:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8141992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClockworkDinosaur/pseuds/ClockworkDinosaur
Summary: Dave never really though of himself as the soulmate type, but the proof was there in obnoxiously capitalized red ink.AU where the first words someone's soulmate says to them are tattooed on their wrist.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2 of Davekat Week 2016- Cheesy AU!!

“WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE THE FUCK YOU'RE GOING, ASSFACE!”

Those were the words etched into Dave Strider's wrist when he woke up, the vivid red lettering standing out brightly on his skin. He stared, mind reeling.

He never really though of himself as the soulmate type, but the proof was there in obnoxiously capitalized red ink. Apparently the first words his soulmate would say to him would be a shouted insult. Fantastic. Whoever she was, she was clearly a catch.

Or _he._ Dave wasn't sure he would mind either way.

But he really didn't want to think about it too much, especially after just waking up. His life was about to get much more complicated and he was tempted to close his eyes and sleep for a few more hours.

Instead, he sat up with a groan, the late morning light pouring in from his window. It was going to be a long fucking day.

Pulling on a red shirt (long-sleeved, he didn't feel the need to advertise to the world that he had a soulmate), black jeans, and his signature aviator shades, he planned out what the fuck he was going to do with this complication.

First things first, he was going to drink a lot of coffee. He trudged from the bedroom, nodding at his brother Dirk as he passed the living room, and grabbed a mug.

“What's up, bro?” said Dirk, joining Dave in the kitchen.

“It's too damn early for you to ask me questions,” Dave muttered.

“It's noon,” Dirk pointed out.

Dave's head snapped up, glancing at the clock. “Shit. I didn't mean to sleep in this late.”

“Happens to the best of- wait, Dave, holy shit,” Dirk said, his eyebrows raised, looking at Dave's arm as he reached to grab a mug from a cabinet. “Is that what I think it is on your wrist? Does my little bro have a soul-”

“Don't you fucking say it or I swear to all that is good and holy that I will cut off my fucking arm,” Dave threatened.

“What does it say?” Dirk asked, sounding uncharacteristically excited. Dave huffed.

“It says _why don't you watch where the fuck you're going, assface_ in all caps. Red letters.”

Dirk laughed. “At least yours is more interesting than mine,” he said, showing the deep green words on his wrist reading _pardon me, ol' chap!_

“I still think Jake got the raw end of the deal there with _no probs, grandpa_ ,” Dave said.

Dirk shrugged, not disagreeing. “Anyway, are you going out to find the lucky person?”

“No, I was going to go hang out with John, Jade, and Rose in a bit,” he said. “This soulmate bullshit can wait. I'm not ready to fucking settle down with the one person I'm meant for or whatever bullshit having a soulmate entails.”

“You say that, but this sorta thing has a tendency to happen whether you're ready and waiting or not,” Dirk said sagely.

“Thanks, next time we get Chinese food I'll be sure to ask you to read another goddamn fortune cookie for me,” Dave said, pouring coffee into a travel mug with several heaping spoonfuls of sugar. “I'm out, later dude.”

Dirk nodded as Dave passed and headed out the front door. The city around him was in full motion, people out for errands or entertainment on the cool Saturday afternoon.

Dave was very careful to watch where the fuck he was going. The sidewalks were crowded with people as he made his way towards the park to meet his friends and sister. He tried not to inspect every stranger he passed on the off chance that one of them was _the one_. He yanked his sleeve down further and forced his mind off of the issue.

Rose noticed him first when Dave stepped into the park. She waved him over to the picnic table where herself, John, and Jade sat.

“Sup guys,” he said, taking a seat on the bench next to John.

“Hi Dave!” Jade said cheerily, grinning her buck-toothed grin that seemed to brighten the entire park. “Guess what happened to Rose?”

Dave raised an eyebrow, glancing at his sister. Rose rolled her eyes.

“I would have preferred to tell him myself on my own time, but...” She held up her wrist, elegant jade-green letters scrawled on her skin.

“Holy shit, no way,” Dave said.

“I know you don't believe in the whole _soulmates_ thing, but I'm pretty excited. I guess it really does happen to everyone. Perhaps your day is coming soon, Dave,” Rose teased.

Wordlessly, Dave slid his sleeve up and showed his own words. Jade gasped.

“Well that's not very nice,” John said.

“At least your first meeting will be memorable,” Rose laughed.

“I'm not sure I'm ready to spend my entire life with someone who calls me _assface_ within seconds of meeting me,” Dave grumbled, shoving the sleeve back down. “Why the fuck did this happen to me? I could have gone my whole goddamn life perfectly content on my own, a badass lone wolf producing the sickest beats known to humanity from his garage. A mystery man who nobody knows but a select few, and yet everyone's heard of him and the fire he spits.”

“Dave, that's bullshit and you know it,” Rose said bluntly. “You of all people are not a lone wolf.”

“I _could have_ been, but now it's ruined by the love of my life that I haven't actually met yet,” he said, glaring at the picnic table.

“Ah yes, build up resentment early, that will do wonders for your relationship,” Rose said.

“I don't need your sarcasm, Lalonde.”

Jade slapped her palms against the table, making everyone jump. She frowned at Rose and Dave.

“You guys, today is supposed to be a nice day. No more arguing, okay? How about we play Frisbee?” she said, pulling the disk from the oversized tote bag that she kept under the table.

“I'm game!” John said, standing. Dave and Rose followed, animosity forgotten as Jade sent the disk flying at Dave with extreme speed.

“Shit, Jade! Are you trying to decapitate me with this fucking plastic toy?” Dave yelled with a laugh, throwing it to John. He caught it easily, tossing it to Rose, who sent it to Jade.

Jade's green eyes narrowed at Dave and he knew that he was about to be annihilated. She reeled her arm back and launched the disk to Dave, who took several running steps backwards in an attempt to catch the Frisbee.

Suddenly he was falling, another set of limbs caught in his own as he collided with someone else.

“WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE THE FUCK YOU'RE GOING, ASSFACE!” someone yelled directly in his ear.

“Why don't you stop elbowing me in the ribs so I can stand, fuckwipe,” Dave shot back, before the sentence that the stranger had shouted rang through his head again.

Both of them seemed to freeze before scrambling apart and blinking at the other.

“Holy fuck, did you just say-” the stranger started, before pulling up the sleeve of his oversized gray sweater to reveal Dave's remark etched in red into his skin.

Dave didn't respond, looking at the stranger with a dumbfounded expression. The stranger's black hair was a mess, curls and waves sticking up in every direction and falling into his eyes. Eyes that were a shocking red color, more vivid than his own, and were now filled with a strange mixture of awe, confusion, and rage.

“Well?” the stranger prompted loudly, and with shaking hands Dave rolled up his sleeve.

The two only stared at their own words on the others' wrist for a full minute.

“Fuck,” the stranger breathed. “I guess... well _shit._ I can't believe my fucking soulmate basically tackled me to the fucking ground because he couldn't be bothered to gauge his surroundings before running around like a dumbass!”

“Yeah, whoops. Sorry about knocking you over,” Dave said. “I guess that's one way to get you to fall for me.”

The stranger glared, but the angry expression was broken by a snort as he stood, offering his hand with a shake of his head and a smirk.

“I'm Karkat Vantas,” he said.

“Dave Strider.” He grabbed Karkat's hand and let himself be pulled up, and was immediately caught by the fact that he was about a full foot taller than Karkat. He was cute and small, and Dave's chest did a strange fluttering thing.

Karkat glanced at Dave's hand, which was still grasping his own. Dave's face warmed as he pulled his hand away and slipped it into his pocket, trying not to acknowledge the fact that suddenly his hand was freezing and very deliberately ignoring that he had the urge to hold Karkat's hand again.

“So um. Do you, uh,” Dave started inarticulately, suddenly unable to string together a coherent sentence. He tried again. “Do you maybe wanna get lunch or something?”

Karkat blinked, then shrugged. “Yeah, alright,” he said with a nod, a blush creeping across his face. “Maybe try and avoid knocking anyone else over though.”

Dave grinned. He glanced over at Rose, finding her standing with Jade and John with a smug expression. She mouthed the words _lone wolf_ and rolled her eyes. Jade waved and John grinned as Dave and Karkat began walking together.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why can't I let myself relax and not write for like two days? When will I stop writing Davekat? How many rhetorical questions can I ask in the chapter notes here?
> 
> ANYWAY this AU was too much fun not to continue. I might continue the Rosemary part of this AU in another fic ;3c

“Oh for fuck's sake,” Karkat breathed, standing in the middle of his room and staring at his wrist. Red letters had appeared in the middle of the night and his heart throbbed with fear and, admittedly, excitement. He really did have a soulmate. Allegedly it happened to almost everyone, but he still could never disregard the nagging suspicion that he was just completely unlovable.

But there they were, neat letters across his wrist showing that he was destined for someone.

In every movie he watched, whenever someone got their soulmate tattoo, there was dramatic music, a slow zoom, maybe some tears and gasps and breathless laughs as the protagonist looks up with a contented and excited smile.

Karkat kind of just felt like collapsing in a heap of relief and nervousness. He stared at the words, not really reading them. They were already burned into his brain.

“ _Why don't you stop elbowing me in the ribs so I can stand, fuckwipe._ ”

What does that _mean?_

Karkat took a deep breath. A soulmate. Someone out there who, should everything work out, would love him.

He already felt vaguely like he was imposing on someone's life.

Shaking his head, he found one of his many sweaters and pulled it on over his perpetual bedhead, keeping his wrist hidden. He knew for a fact his brother would ask a million questions and probably give him a lecture on how to properly and non-offensively meet his soulmate.

But what the fuck did he know, the asshole didn't even have a soulmate.

He slammed his bedroom door closed behind him for the sole purpose of pissing Kankri off. When he made his way into the kitchen, Kankri was already there, sitting at the table with a haughty expression.

“Good morning, Karkat. It seems I tell you this every morning, but you really shouldn’t make such loud unexpected noises. It could-”

“I know, Kankri,” Karkat said, cutting him off. “I am well fucking aware that slamming my door is a horrible offense and for doing so I'm immediately a shitty person. I know. Shut the hell up, I don't want to deal with this so fucking early.”

Kankri raised an eyebrow. “You're even grumpier than usual.”

“I'm the average and perfectly acceptable amount of grumpy, fuck you very much.”

With a sigh, Kankri stood. “Well, I can tell that trying to educate you this morning would be useless. I'm going to the library today, don't get yourself into any trouble.”

“Thanks, dad,” Karkat said sarcastically.

Kankri looked like he was about to say something in response, but Karkat turned away and made it clear that he wasn't listening.

Another sigh, absconding footsteps, and Karkat was alone. He leaned his head on the counter and sighed. Talking to Kankri was exhausting and he was already pissed off. It wasn't even noon yet.

It was going to be a long fucking day.

Grabbing a breakfast bar, Karkat stomped into the living room and threw himself down on the couch, turning the TV on to something mindless as he studied the markings on his wrist.

The color was always important. Usually an eye color, occasionally hair color, rarely the color of a tattoo or other marking the other person already had. The words on his wrist were a middling red color, the color of blood.

With his own vividly red eyes, he didn't wonder what color his soulmate's tattoo was. He _was_ curious about the significance of the blood-red on his wrist.

The tattoo looked like it had always been there, no raised and red skin like a normal fresh tattoo. All the scientists in the world couldn't figure out how or why it happened the way it did. It just happened.

Karkat sighed, closing his eyes. The announcer on TV was barking about promising to find a person's soulmate in a week, internationally or domestically, for the low, low price of three thousand dollars. With a disgusted snort, Karkat turned the TV off. Anxiety snaked its way through his chest anyway. What if his soulmate did live somewhere far away? He shook his head, glaring at the dark screen of the television. Fuck that commercial guy for making him worry.

He stood, balling his fists. He felt restless. Grabbing his phone, he headed for the front door.

 

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling grimAuxiliatrix [GA] at 10:28

CG: HEY KANAYA.

GA: Hello Karkat

CG: ARE YOU AT WORK?

GA: Yes I Am

GA: Why

CG: I NEED TO TALK TO YOU. I HAVE SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO SHOW YOU.

GA: Funny

GA: I Have Something To Show You As Well

CG: SEE YOU IN LIKE TWENTY MINUTES.

GA: Okay See You Then

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling grimAuxiliatrix [GA] at 10:30

 

Karkat hurried out the door, heading to the coffee shop where his friend Kanaya worked. It was busy with the breakfast rush, and Karkat nodded from across the room after meeting Kanaya's tired jade-green eyes. She gave him a tight smile as a customer yelled about their coffee order. He have her a sympathetic look and took his seat. He played on his phone for a while, very deliberately not checking any website where people looked for their soulmates.

Kanaya slid into the seat across from him and sighed. “I am _so_ tired,” she said, crossing her arms on the table and resting her head. Karkat paped her hair softly. She looked up at him and smiled.

“So what was it you wanted to show me?” she asked. Taking a deep breath, Karkat slid his sleeve up to show her the words written on his skin. Kanaya gasped.

“Oh my god, Karkat!” she said, lifting her own sleeve to show a lavender tattoo saying “ _I'm sorry to interrupt, but that book you're reading..._ ”

Karkat and Kanaya gave each other stunned looks.

“Holy shit, I can't believe this happened to both of us at the same fucking time, what the fuck,” Karkat said with a surprised laugh. Kanaya smiled and shrugged.

“I wonder who they are,” Kanaya said, studying Karkat's wrist. “Whoever it is, it will be an interesting meeting.”

“Yeah, _interesting,_ ” Karkat said. “Have any ideas about yours?”

“Well, whoever she is, I like her already,” Kanaya said. “I'm not just saying that because she's my soulmate, but clearly she has an interest in books if she just asks strangers about what they're reading. I have a feeling we'll get along well.”

“You seem so confident,” Karkat grumbled. “I have no fucking clue about what my soulmate is like. Aside from the fact they throw insults around at random strangers. What a dick.”

Kanaya raised an eyebrow but decided against calling out Karkat's hypocrisy.

“Well, it seems to me you two might actually end up colliding. Literally. That sounds like something said to someone who's been knocked over,” Kanaya pointed out. Karkat reread the words with a frown.

“Yeah, you're right,” he said. “So do I go and put myself in the path of every random stranger who looks like an asshole and hope they call me a fuckwipe?”

Kanaya laughed. “That would be inconvenient. Not to mention rude. But I'm sure whatever happens will happen soon. It usually does.”

She glanced at the clock and groaned. “My break is up. Good luck, Karkat,” she said, patting his hand as she stood. He waved and looked out the window. As noon approached then passed, the streets filled with people. Daytime shoppers, kids and teens out of school, people out to enjoy the day with friends. Karkat stared at everyone without realizing it, studying wrists and faces as if he would just know.

After a useless half an hour of that, he stood and glared. Sitting around probably wasn't going to help speed things up, and he sure as hell wasn't going to wait. With a wave to Kanaya, he left.

His hands were shoved in his pockets as he walked down the street, head down and expression annoyed. Without making a deliberate decision to do so, he made a left into a nearby park.

People enjoyed the day around him, shouting, chatting and playing in the sunlight. He sped up, annoyance and restlessness driving him forward through the park.

Suddenly there was a weight on him and he found himself on the ground, the breath knocked out of him.

“WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE THE FUCK YOU'RE GOING, ASSFACE!” he shouted, pushing against the stranger.

“Why don't you stop elbowing me in the ribs so I can stand, fuckwipe,” the stranger snapped.

Karkat froze. He and the stranger scrambled away from each other in a mutual state of surprise.

“Holy fuck, did you just say-” Karkat said, his voice wavering as he pulled the sleeve of his sweater up. He watched the other guy's face, which was unfortunately hard to read thanks to the thick aviator shades that covered his eyes. His mouth was slightly open, and he only stared silently.

Karkat stared. The stranger- more than likely his soulmate- was tall and thin, awkwardly gangly almost, with pale blonde hair and dark skin.

“Well?” Karkat yelled, confusion and nerves warring inside. Slowly, the other guy lifted his sleeve. Karkat's vivid red words were bright against his skin and Karkat almost felt a pang of embarrassment that he was actually the one to insult his soulmate first.

“Fuck,” Karkat whispered, taking a deep breath. “I guess... well _shit._ I can't believe my fucking soulmate basically tackled me to the fucking ground because he couldn't be bothered to gauge his surroundings before running around like a dumbass!” Karkat spat, glaring. Karkat glanced at the green Frisbee that sat forgotten a few feet away. He didn't blame the stranger, but being knocked on his ass wasn't exactly the best way to meet someone.

“Yeah, whoops. Sorry about knocking you over,” the stranger said, his voice smooth and pleasant. “I guess that's one way to get you to fall for me.”

Karkat's heart seemed to flip. Feeling a blush rise up his neck, he glared but couldn't keep the expression for long. Unable to help himself, he laughed, standing and offering his hand to the stranger.

“I'm Karkat Vantas,” he said, the stranger's hand warm in his own.

“Dave Strider,” he said, smiling. Standing, he was even taller and more gangly that Karkat at first assumed, probably _at least_ a foot taller than Karkat himself. Karkat glanced at Dave's hand, his long fingers still wrapped around Karkat's hand. With obvious hesitation, Dave took his hand back and shoved it in his pocket.

“So um. Do you, uh,” Dave started, his face darkening as he stuttered awkwardly. “Do you maybe wanna get lunch or something?”

“Yeah, alright,” Karkat said with a shrug, trying to keep his cool while he actually internally felt like yelling excitedly. “Maybe try and avoid knocking anyone else over though,” he added to mask how flustered he was.

Dave grinned and Karkat suddenly understood all of those cheesy rom-coms.

 

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: more than likely i'm going to continue this AU with some other ships, so keep an eye out perhaps :0


End file.
